


The Broken Pieces

by ElizabethTarington



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Asexual, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Bisexual Male Character, Comfort, Crying, Dating, Depression, Developing Relationship, Emotional Baggage, Exophilia, Grief/Mourning, Heartbreak, Human/Monster Romance, M/M, Men Crying, OkCryptid, OkCryptid App, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Teratophilia, ace incubus, ace male, bisexual male, seeking companionship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 09:32:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16851553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElizabethTarington/pseuds/ElizabethTarington
Summary: Pairing: Male Human x Ace Male IncubusWarning:SFW (Angst, Depression, Mentions of Past Death and Past Abuse)Word Count: 4328Note: OkCryptid Collab Prompt from @thetravelerwrites. Here’s my humble contribution. I had an idea in my ‘idea book’ for a while and was happy to knock this out as a combo piece. I really wanted to create something like this and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. I hope y’all enjoy!Original on my Tumblr: https://elizabethtarington.tumblr.com/post/179869209642/the-broken-piecesSummary: Mason finally dips into the dating world after a past relationship gone amuck and finds himself going on a date with an asexual Incubus who owns a cake store.





	The Broken Pieces

“Alright, bud. Your profile is all set up.”

Mason poked his head out from the kitchen to give Jeremy, longtime friend and class of 2011 survivor, a quizzical frown, “What profile?”

Jeremy shook his head at Mason “I’ll give you three guesses. It’s been two years since you broke up with Maria. What kind of profile do you think it is?”

Mason went back to putting popcorn in the microwave, frowning slightly at the rotating bag of kernels. While it popped, he leaned against the doorway and watched Jeremy. The man with his furrowed brow was finger deep in some dating app as he swiped his finger across the screen. Mason knew his friend meant well, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for this kind of thing.

“I’m not sure the dating scene is my thing. It’s been the same song and dance. I meet some gal or guy and I end up dating them and then they hurt me and leave a pile of ash behind—I’m just not interested.”

“I totally respect that you don’t want to date, but you should at least get out there. Maybe meet new people.”

Mason sighed, “Is this because you’re leaving next month and you’re worried about me?”

Glancing up from the phone Jeremy met Mason’s gaze, “Can you blame me? You don’t really have anyone else, Mason. Maria kind of made sure of that.”

Mason was the first to break eye contact as pain flared up in his chest. Maria. Everything about her still caused bitterness and regret to burn in his veins and bile to well up in his throat. What had been so fun in the beginning had become toxic and abusive. A dull throb started in his head as he began thinking about it.

“That she did.”

There was a silence between the two friends. An understanding of the damage combined with a quiet desperation to fix it.

“I’m not going to pressure you, Mason—but I can’t help but worry that you’re going to disappear into yourself.”

Mason was worried too. He was worried that he was never going to be able to connect with a person ever again and that Jeremy really was his last and only friend. It was enough to make Mason outstretch his hand for his phone.

“Alright, explain this thing to me.”

A hopeful grin spread across Jeremy’s face as he shot up from the couch and practically danced into the kitchen beside Mason. Glancing away from the popcorn, Mason raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the dating app.

“OkCryptid? Seriously, dude?”

“What? You never thought about going on a date with a different creature? Are you speciesist?” Jeremy teased, playfully cocking his hand onto his hip.

“That’s not it, I guess I just never really thought about dating someone that wasn’t a human.”

“Well, time to get your feet wet my friend, maybe literally.”

Mason inwardly winced at his friends over-exuberance as he began showing Mason how to use the app. It seemed easy enough to navigate, but Mason didn’t want to look at it any longer once the microwave alerted him that the popcorn was ready. The monster dating app was definitely a far second to horrible movie night and snacks.

After the movie, Jeremy went home and Mason began flipping through profiles on the app and cringed repeatedly. Mason himself wouldn’t be bragging about his profile. Jeremy had chosen a picture he had snapped while Mason was driving. But the worst part about it was what Jeremy had written on his behalf. While the self-summary was spot on, Mason was a florist that liked to garden in his spare time, or play video games and movie nights, it was how Jeremy had made him sound like a quirky weirdo.

I love plants so much that I can tell you what each individual flower means and how to arrange them in a perfect bouquet for when I meet your parents.

“Jeremy, you asshole,” Mason muttered as he edited his description, removing that line completely.

He tweaked it seven times and reread it only to find he’d gone from random freak to completely uninteresting. If he were trying to find someone to date and they had this profile description it would be a pass for Mason. With that thought, Mason got ready for bed, fighting the feeling of oncoming depression and the stinging sensation of tears. As his head hit the pillow he hoped sleep would give him a moment of peace.

For three weeks, the app stayed on Mason’s phone, forgotten until a notification beeped while Mason was at work. He almost ignored it as he began trimming up some calla lilies for a wedding bouquet that needed to be finished by the end of the week.

“You got pinged, Mason.” Came a small voice from a pot of soil on Mason’s workbench.

Mason glanced at the alraune, Delpha. She was a small floral creature, that could easily be mistaken for a sunflower with a small face. She had come into his store, nearly getting stepped on in the process, to ask for a job. It had been a couple of years since then, but Mason had accommodated her in many ways so that she could walk from table to table, helping the plants grow and stay healthy with her magic.

Now she was helping him grow a new kind of flower hybrid that would be special to only his store. She was carefully placing seeds into the soil with her as sparkling green magic spread from her leafy hands, “I guess there’s no harm in checking it.”

Swiping the phone on, Mason stared down at the app’s notification with surprise. Someone had messaged him. Not just any someone, an incubus someone.

“What is it, Mason?”

A sudden onset of dry mouth caused Mason to struggle as he opened the app to look at the message and the incubus in question, “It’s a message from someone on the dating app my friend installed.”

“Oh? Which app? I’m partial to Monstr myself. I once went on a date with a mandrake root and you would not believe the night we had together.” Delpha jumped out of the pot, scattering dirt across the table as she moved to look at Mason’s phone. “Ohh! OkCryptid! Mason, I didn’t know you swung our way, towards us otherworldly creatures.”

“I-uh, I’ve always thought about it but then I met Maria and—”

Mason cut himself off, he didn’t want to discuss personal stuff with Delpha. Not about Maria at least. This incubus, however, was a different story.

His name was Vylixar but went by Vyl. He looked like a Vyl, Mason decided looking at the imposing creature. Mason had met several incubi and succubi over the years and their appearances weren’t exactly what most humans would consider the epitome of beauty. They often had scale-like skin with little horns protruding from their shoulders and elbows, but they came in a variety of colors. Vyl was a deep mauve with large spikes. His horns on his head looked sharp and pointed, curling from his head down to his pointed ears. In his profile picture was him revealing sharp fangs with what Mason assumed was a friendly smile on his short snout.

Mason turned the phone so Delpha could see, “What do you think?”

“Oh, he looks big and strong, although you might want to be careful, incubi often like to feast on energy.”

“I’ve heard of it, but never really educated myself on it.” Mason pulled his phone back to look at what Vyl had messaged. “Is it sexual energy? I don’t really have any of that right now.”

“It can be. I’ve heard that it feels good for humans when they feast on you. It can get addictive.”

It had been a while since Mason had felt good in any respects. Every day felt like he was just struggling to hold on to what little he had left. Maybe this is a risk he should take.

Quickly glancing over the text, Mason wrote back his response, double and triple checking his words trying to not sound like an idiot. He hesitated to hit the send button but finally pressed send after rereading his message one more time. After he did so he put his phone down, anxiously waiting to hear back as he went back to preparing the wedding bouquet.

Another notification made Mason’s phone beep as he was about to wrap and pin the ribbon onto the bouquet.

“Would you like to have dinner with me?”

Mason could feel his palms start to sweat, but his reply was instant ‘Yes’. ‘Vyl is typing’ quickly turned into another message back asking if tonight would work for him. Mason was astonished at how much Vyl wanted to meet him. Despite himself, Mason was getting excited, the sooner he met Vyl, the better.

He messaged back that he was available and no sooner had he sent the message did Vyl respond with a date and time. Confusion at the location made Mason raise his eyebrow. It was a bakery just down the street from where Mason worked, he had even been there to help with a cake order that required several rose heads that a bride had specifically wanted. Had Mason already met Vyl before? He didn’t recognize him at all.

After work was finished, Mason headed home to clean himself up a bit and put on a button up shirt that he always liked. Maria hated it. It was blue plaid that made Mason look like a lanky roadie is what she had said, usually wrinkling her nose in disgust. She would then suggest a plain and professional button-up shirt.

“Fuck her,” Mason growled, buttoning the shirt up a little more fiercely. “I look good.”

Mason had finished inspecting himself before he was out the door and arrived at the bakery. Vyl had said 7:30 but as Mason stood outside the bakery he frowned up at the closed sign. The bakery had already closed and had been for nearly an hour. Mason was ready to believe that he got tricked when he saw a hulking incubus with large clawed feet walk towards the door.

He unlocked it and smiled, his yellow glowing eyes looked Mason up and down as he opened the door, “Mason?”

“Uh—yeah. That’s me.”

“Hi, please come in.” Vyl moved to the side, keeping the door wide as Mason shuffled into the bakery. “Sorry, I was running a little bit late with the cleanup in the bakery and preparing dinner. I hope you don’t mind.”

Mason glanced back to see Vyl locking up before he walked past him into the back, “Come on back, I’m just starting to finish up cooking.”

Uncertain and a little concerned, Mason gave pause at the situation. Vyl owned the bakery? And was cooking dinner for Mason?

“Uh, Vyl?” Mason asked wandering into the back to see an expansive setup. Several tables were placed throughout the expansive space, where little fairies were sprinkling sugar on cookies while others were turning cakes as they were being decorated with colorful icing and decadent chocolate.

“Don’t mind the sugar plum fairies, they do a lot of the work at night. We won’t be eating down here though, my little flat is just above the shop.”

Mason continued to follow behind, taking one last peek at the fairies and the massive kitchen. It had several silver machines that Mason assumed were for mixing and preparing the pastries and cakes. He also had never seen sugar plum fairies before and was fascinated at how they seemed to really enjoy rolling out fondant together.

Up a set of spiral stairs, Mason finally followed Vyl up to a different floor that had a large red door propped open. The enticing scent of food made Mason’s stomach growl loudly enough that Vyl glanced back and chuckle.

“Feeling hungry?”

“I am, actually.”

“Good, I’m glad you brought your appetite. I should have asked beforehand, but are you allergic to anything?”

“Uh, no. I’ll pretty much eat everything. My friend says my stomach is made out of lead.”

Vyl smirked, “Well, my cooking isn’t atrocious, so hopefully you won’t have to put that theory to the test.”

Vyl opened the door again, ushering Mason forward into the flat. It was spacious and well decorated much to Mason’s surprise. He didn’t know what to expect but he certainly didn’t think Vyl’s place would be so homey. Vinyl records decorated the walls, mixed in was some jazz posters in thick black frames. A flat-screen was bolted into the wall above a small white painted fireplace and sitting across from it was a couch with two other chairs surrounding a glass coffee table.

“Can I get you a glass of wine or maybe a beer?”

“I won’t say no to a beer.” Mason nodded as he took off his shoes before he followed Vyl into the kitchen.

The kitchen was similar to the one in the bakery, stainless steel appliances that were polished and cleaned to a pristine shine like no one had been using them. He watched as Vyl opened the fridge and pulled out a beer and popped the cap off easily before handing it to Mason. With his nerves starting to make him want to bail, Mason gratefully took the beer and took a sip, surprised at how smooth the dark liquor went down.

“Wow, what is this?”

“Ah, that is a St. Bernardus Abt 12. It’s good right?”

“It really is, I don’t think I’ve tasted anything like this before.”

“Well, don’t drink that one down too fast, it’s got a high alcohol content and on an empty stomach that beer will go straight to your head.”

Vyl smiled at his comment as he washed his hands. His hands quickly found their way to a blade as he began to chop some vegetables and throwing them into a large bowl with some leafy greens.

“Can I help with anything?”

“No thank you, I should be fine. But if you don’t mind, I could use the company.”

Mason nodded, “Sure thing.”

Silence had filled the air with only Vyl’s chopping to compensate for it before Mason took one more swig of beer before trying to talk, “So, do you own the bakery? I’ve actually worked with you guys before for that rose cake for a wedding about a year ago.”

“Oh! Are you the gentleman from the flower store down the street?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Well, fancy that. I had no idea. I’m usually in the back downstairs making the cakes.” Vyl stopped as the smile that had appeared, faded quickly. “My late partner used to deal with the customers so you probably saw him.”

Mason’s eyes went wide as he watched the large incubus pause as he threw the remaining vegetables into the bowl before turning to wash the cutting board in the sink.

“Your late partner.” Mason murmured as he tried to remember the person he met. A picture of a young man with long hair tied into a long braid came to mind. He had glasses and a soft kind smile as he had greeted Mason and discussed business with. Lucas. That was his name. “Lucas.”

“Yes. Lucas. My wonderful partner.”

“When did he pass?” Mason asked, carefully watching Vyl as he walked to the oven to check on a large roast.

“It was a year ago—on this day actually. A heart attack of all things. The man was fit as a fiddle, yet his heart had a blockage.” Vyl stared intently at the roast, sticking it with a thermometer, “I hope you don’t mind—it’s just that I really needed someone tonight. I needed to feel like this place was a home again with a cooked meal and with someone to share it with.”

Vyl paused, “I’m sorry if you’re disappointed or you were hoping for something more than just a meal.”

“No. No. Vyl, don’t apologize.” Mason’s brow furrowed, his heart ached for the incubus in front of him. He understood the pain and he understood the need for companionship even if it meant this wasn’t actually a date. Whatever preconceived ideas Mason had about Vyl feeding on him just so he could feel good was gone. “I get it. I really do.”

“You do?”

Those glowing eyes turned to Mason with shock and lingering sadness as tears had been forming in the corner of his eyes.

“I do. Honestly, I’m not ready to date anyways. I got out of a bad relationship two years ago and I haven’t really been the same since. My friend Jeremy put the app on my phone because he’s worried that I don’t have any friends and he’s concerned that I’ll be lonely since he’s leaving in a week.”

Vyl let out a small breath of relief, “Lucas would have done the same which is the only reason I installed the app myself. I can hear him in the back of my mind, pushing me to move on, but it’s hard. Even harder is to find someone who would want to date me anyway.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I’m-uh, not like other incubi. I don’t really do the sex thing. Ever. I just don’t have an interest in it, I’d much rather have a companion who doesn’t mind snuggling on the couch to watch some movies or maybe will go on walks with me while we indulge in ice cream. I still need to feed occasionally, but it’s very rare for me since I’ve gone what most of my kind consider ‘vegan’. I eat human food for sustenance.”

Vyl stood up, closing the oven door, reaching for his own glass of wine as he took a sip.

“That—honestly sounds what I want right now.” Mason shuffled from side to side, inwardly admiring Vyl’s bravery for being honest with him, all while feeling a little guilty that he had come here without thinking that perhaps Vyl was a person and not an object to magically make Mason happy. He didn’t want sex, but he wanted to feel good. He wanted to feel happy again. “I don’t have much interest in anyone sexually either. Not after my ex. Honestly, I just feel—”

Mason stopped himself. There he was, bringing up that woman again.

“Did you want to talk about it? I mean, I’m a stranger or a potential friend, should we enjoy each other’s company—but sometimes talking to a stranger about your problems is easier than talking to your friends. I’m less involved in what happened.”

Taking a deep swig from the bottle, Mason struggled until it spilled out, “I’ve always been a bit more reclusive than most people, so I figured dating someone who was the opposite of me would help me to come out of my shell a bit more. Maria was my opposite. In every way. She wasn’t very good for me and really enjoyed hurting me by putting me down. Near the end of our relationship, I questioned whether it was just in my head or maybe I was emotionally fragile and just sensitive. Maybe I was just not good enough for her. But what broke everything was when I found out that she had been cheating—as if the verbal abuse wasn’t enough. I really wasn’t enough for her. She even blamed me when I confronted her about it. It was—bad. ”

Another profound silence settled between them as Mason did his best to keep his eyes on the floor. He was struggling to reign it all in.

“Oh—Mason.” Vyl said softly. “Can I give you a hug?”

Mason nodded immediately as he felt the welling of emotions inside of him. She had cut him up into tiny pieces and he just didn’t know how to put himself back together again. For a moment as Vyl wrapped his arms around Mason, he felt as if he might just be able to do it. He might become whole again, one day.

Unexpected tears and sniffles began to plague Vyl as he held Mason tightly. It only made Mason respond in kind, burying his face into Vyl’s chest to hide his own tears. They both stood in that kitchen, clinging for their own reason to continue on as the fresh home cooked meal reminded them of care and warmth. Tonight it was enough to share a meal together. It was enough to share each others company.

They pulled apart, both quickly wiping their own tears away before Vyl laughed, “Look at us. What a horrible meeting this is.”

Mason sniffed, letting out a chuckle, “No, it’s actually pretty great.”

“I’m sorry that she hurt you so deeply.”

“Yeah, me too.” Mason nodded, “Honestly, I’m pretty sure I should go see a therapist. This kind of baggage is heavy and I don’t want to burden anyone with it.”

“That’s understandable and probably the healthiest solution.” Vyl turned to open the oven and check the roast once more, “Ah, I believe that dinner is ready.”

“Great, I think all the crying made me hungrier than I was before.”

Vyl laughed, “Crying can be good for the soul, but I can relate. I think I’m hungry after I blubber—at the very least, I’m thirsty.”

Mason felt a wave of relief as he watched Vyl grab two sets of plates, handing one to Mason before setting the other one down. He picked up a carving knife and fork, cutting large slices of steaming roast and plopping two onto Mason’s plate.

His mouth watered as he stared at the hot beef, his stomach also letting out a resounding grumble of approval, “Wow, this looks delicious. Where did you learn to cook or bake?”

“I went to a culinary school a long time ago. Since we incubi have long lives, I’ve been in and out of school for centuries, picking up new things and recreating the old.”

Vyl handed Mason cutlery as he ushered him into the dining room across from the living room. The table was small with four chairs and four placemats already set on the surface. Mason had wondered if perhaps Vyl was the one who placed the little vase of fake flowers in the middle or if it was Lucas.

Setting down his plate, Vyl walked to the kitchen, coming back with the bowl of salad and several dressings pressed to his chest before he set them all down.

“I didn’t even think about how long you live. So, have you been vegan for long then?”

“Yes, actually. I just never enjoyed it like others of my kind did. So, I just didn’t do it. Occasionally the mood strikes where I wouldn’t mind feeding on a person, but it’s very rare. Because of that, I learned to cook and get nutrition from food. It only made sense to learn to cook or bake to earn money while I eat to survive.”

“Makes sense to me.” Mason smiled, cutting into his roast before taking the first bite.

It was glorious as the savory flavor hit Mason’s taste buds, “Wow. This is really good.”

Vyl’s smile grew large as he watched as Mason began cutting up his food more to get another piece into his mouth, “I’m glad—Lucas definitely appreciated my cooking as well.”

“Was this his favorite meal?”

“It was.” Vyl paused, “I’m sorry, I just feel really guilty about this ‘date’. Like I’m using you.”

“Well, join the club. I feel like an ass because I originally came here thinking that I might feel good if you fed off me. “

Vyl let out a hearty laugh, “A date where both parties were looking to ease their own pain and suffering by using the other. How romantic. This could only lead to good things.”

“From the looks of it, we might become ‘cry buddies’.”

“Cry buddies,” Vyl chuckled again, “I like it. It really brings out a softer side.”

Dinner had turned into a late gabfest with Vyl showing Mason how to make a cupcake with buttercream icing. They talked about everything from their past relationships, to video games, books, and movies. Mason even was pleased to discover that Vyl was interested in incorporating more real flowers into his baking displays. They had a lot in common and when the evening drew to a close they exchanged numbers before Vyl showed Mason out of the bakery with a box of cookies and their cupcake creations.

“I really enjoyed tonight. It’s not what I thought it would be.” Mason spoke first, pausing at the door as Vyl unlocked and opened it.

“I did too. I’m probably as surprised as you are.”

A silent pause descended on Mason as he stared down at the box in hand before meeting Vyl’s gaze, “I know I sound like a broken record, but I’m not ready to date. I’m still not really in a healthy place where I should be dating, but I want to see you again as a friend. Is that okay?”

Vyl nodded, a small smile toying at the corners of his snout, “I would like that very much, Mason. Do you think we could meet up on Sunday? I could show you how to make cookies.”

Vyl ruffled Mason’s hair playfully as Mason felt relief flood through his body.

“I’d like that.”

“Cool. I’ll text you later then. Have a good night and please get home safely.”

Mason nodded as he stepped outside, “I will—oh and Vyl?”

“Yeah?” Vyl paused before closing the door.

“Thank you. Truly.”

“Thank you too, Mason.”

Mason began walking away with goodies in hand as he heard Vyl lock up. He felt lighter than he had in a while and decided to text Jeremy about how his evening went. He ended the message with a quick note that he was going to be just fine. For the first time, Mason knew it to be true.


End file.
